Re: World War One paint colours for R.N...
Before the start of WW1, the Royal Navy used a dark charcoal grey in home waters and major warships had funnel bands. Ships in reserve had turrets in a lighter grey and if they were brought out of reserve just to take part in exercises this was not always altered. when the Grand Fleet was formed, the very dark grey became somewhat paler, what was generally referred to as "Battleship Grey but destroyers remained black. After WW1 there was a surplus of Battleship Grey and it was sold off and the Midland Railway bought large quantities and used to to paint their goods waggons instead of the former very light grey. The Midland Railway workers reffered to the Battleship Grey as "Smudge, probably because it covered a multitude of sins. Check out the shade of railway truck models on websites. By 1916, the Grand Fleet adopted a lighter grey, perhaps because the light grey German ships proved to be more difficult to see in North Sea mists than RN ships and RN destroyers became grey rather than black. Ever since Model Master grey primers vanished, I have had used cellulose primers mixed in cans on site at a local proffessional paint suppliers in 400ml cans and, for WW1 RN, I use Scania 1431908 Matt which I weather darker on ships with torpedo nets and lighter on those without.
|